Military Review English Edition July-August 2014 | Page 9

branch, along with all other graduating cadets. The
targeted to a STEM field of study and you complete
criteria for branch assignment typically are unrelated
your degree, you will spend your first four years in the
to their field of study. A mechanical engineer could
Army replacing your new technical knowledge with
be assigned to the transportation corps, or a history
training on tank gunnery, assembly area operations, or
major could be assigned as an engineer. According to
logistics. After four years, you will have forgotten most
a report in the AUSA [Association of the United States of the technical knowledge you learned in college, or it
Army] News, the Army has increased its emphasis
will have become obsolete, or both. The Army will not
on recruiting young men and women for ROTC with
concern itself with this issue because it will continue
backgrounds in science, technology, engineering, and
hiring contractors to run its computer systems and netmathematics (known as STEM).5 At the recruiting
works. The Army pays lip service to the need to recruit
website www.goarmy.com, the only evidence of this
students with STEM expertise, but with the piecemeal
is that potential students can find a link that allows
way it manages their careers, the Army squanders the
them to see the names of technical
careers available in the Army.6
Several opportunities exist to
earn advanced civilian education
degrees while in the Army. These
opportunities are through fellowships, broadening assignments, and
functional area transfers. The Army
expends great effort to make sure
officers it selects for assignments in
professional fields such as financial
management, supply chain operations, or international affairs eventually gain the necessary academic
preparation. Unfortunately, the
first chance officers have to serve
in, and study for, such professional
disciplines typically is at the fouror seven-year mark of their careers.
Romanian soldiers and U.S. Army ROTC cadets study a terrain map in preparation for land
These opportunities are past the
navigation training during the cadets’ 2013 CULP mission to Romania.
service obligation for officers who
earned undergraduate degrees with ROTC scholartalent it manages to recruit and the money it invests in
ships, so any STEM graduates would have to extend
scholarships.
their service to use the skills the Army wants them to
Instead, the Army should frame its targeted
have.7 The Army’s model provides a disincentive to
ROTC scholarships within a new career planning
STEM students because it is at odds with the nature
model. Rather than offering STEM scholarships isoof STEM careers. The model likely negates potential
lated from any career plan, the Army should develop
benefits to the students and to the Army.
a career planning system with a continuous trajectory
Imagine you are a computer science student at a
starting from college. It should take into account a
prominent U.S. university. Your skills will be in high
cadet’s talents and interests years before commissiondemand as soon as you graduate, and your salary in
ing to branch assignments. Instead of interrupting the
the private sector could be substantial. You have an
development of cadets’ expertise by placing STEM
interest in military service, and you would also like
graduates in typical roles for four or seven years, and
some financial assistance with college. Under the
then offering them technical opportunities, the Army
current model, if you accept an ROTC scholarship
needs to develop its STEM officers in a continuous
MILITARY REVIEW  July-August 2014

7

Photo from U.S. Army Cadet Command

Cadets in Strategic Landpower